Name: Yael Tilevitz
Major: Biology
Future Plans: Aliyah, marriage, Environmental Education
Coming from an all girls yeshiva background, as well as Brooklyn, New York, Binghamton was something of a surprise. All of the sudden, I was surrounded by people who wondered what I was doing and why I was doing it. These encounters led me to further my understanding of my Jewish identity in a real and practical way. I remember my first Shabbat in Binghamton. I had just finished my year in seminary in Israel and I wandered into the Chabad House wishing I could be back in Israel. As I started to meet people, I met several people who had the same feelings, one of whom will be my husband! I then met other Jews with similar values and goasl and realized that, though I was not in Israel, things would be okay. I started to look forward to Shabbat, and holidays in the Chabad house because I knew that it would "feel like shabbat". As I started to volunteer with the day to day goings on at Chabad, I met many people who had rediscovered Judaism through Chabad. For all of us, the Chabad house was a way of connecting to Judaism. Whether you were looking for a daily minyan, or just a place to go on Friday night, this was the place. As I learned after I made Aliyah this winter, the skills I developed in the Chabad House did not leave me, and I am now involved in the Ariel Olim community, helping new olim get settled. As we move on in life, the joy we shared should multiply, the skills we learned should grow, and we should all merit greatness and happiness.
ב"ה